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Thinking Beyond the App

Aberdeen’s research from April 2013 shows that organizations with mobile app initiatives report 2x the improvement as those without one. These benefits show up in terms of operational efficiency, employee productivity, and speed to acquire business-critical information. The business demand for these benefits is driving the rapid global movement to mobile app adoption – as a consequence, the drive for apps isn’t going away any time soon. This in turn has driven an average 38% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) increase in the number of apps developed per organization — so managing the app eco-system and ensuring it meets organizational objectives is becoming ever more complex and challenging.
The Application Development Lifecycle
Many organizations are learning lessons the hard way that software companies have known for decades – that it’s essential to accommodate for the entire lifecycle of apps from cradle to grave, and that the cycle repeats itself as an evergreen process. Businesses and end-users needs evolve, driving changes to the app itself, spawning new app ideas, and eventually indicating that its purpose has been met and it’s time to retire the app. It’s essential that the organization embrace this ever-changing cycle, develop a sense for where each app is in the process, and discover how decisions made throughout that entire lifecycle affect end-user adoption and RoMI.
That doesn’t mean that your organization needs to become a software company! For your company, apps are most likely a means to an end — business process improvement, improved customer intimacy, streamlined operations, etc. — not the end goal itself. Yet the same lessons apply, and you can avoid the many mistakes that your competitors are likely making – you’ve got to think beyond the app and learn from the experts: software publishers.
To learn more about enterprise app adoption -- and get the most out of your organization's mobile initiative -- download the Enterprise App Adoption eGuide here.